How to choose a wrench: pneumatic, electric, cordless? How to choose a wrench: pneumatic, electric, battery, car for the garage. Parameters for choosing a wrench: the presence of an impact mechanism, rotor speed, torque, compressor compatibility and others.
Wrench selection parameters
The choice of a wrench is based on the study of its parameters and capabilities. Among the most significant and significant are the following:
Weight and ergonomics
The quality of operations and the productivity of the tool are influenced by its appearance and weight. If it is necessary to use a nutrunner in production, it is recommended to give preference to models whose weight ranges from 5-10 kg. For a home workshop, the most optimal would be to buy a nutrunner, the weight of which does not exceed 5 kg.
The presence of a rubberized gasket on the handle, straight contours of the body with an elongated shaft contribute to a significant simplification of work, even in hard-to-reach places. The use of durable and lightweight plastic for the manufacture of the body lightens the weight of the wrench, reducing the load on the hands during operation. These criteria must be taken into account when choosing a tool.
Pneumatic
The pneumatic versions are resistant to wear and have excellent torque parameters. They cannot be called maneuverable due to the need for a permanent connection to the compressor unit. These devices are used in activities that require frequent use, for example, in a service station or in industrial workshops. It is appropriate to buy a pneumatic impact wrench for domestic use when you have the necessary equipment (compressor unit).
The service life of a pneumatic tool depends on the wear resistance of the attachment components. A one-piece wrench with an aluminum housing will take significantly more impacts and last longer than an electric wrench. These units are easy to maintain and repair, since they contain a minimum number of elements in their structure.
Rechargeable
This type of wrench can also be called a network wrench, but it operates from a voltage of 12 V. This is the most maneuverable and quick wrench type that does not need any connections to work. Modern attachments have the superior torque needed to reliably unscrew wheel fasteners in passenger cars and trucks. The battery potential of individual nutrunners makes it possible to dismantle and install a set of wheels on a KamAZ vehicle. The characteristics of these devices are somewhat lower than those of wired ones, since a battery is also added to the total set of elements, which is prone to failure.
Manual mechanical
The manual device is the most multifunctional, since it does not require electric energy, fuel or compressor stations to have the muscle strength of the worker. A manual wrench is one of those devices that greatly facilitate fastening work. The principle of operation of the device is based on the transmission of torque through a differential gearbox. To fix the head to the shaft, both the chuck itself and the head attachment can be used. Manual rotation of the drive shaft is facilitated many times by the gearbox, so when unscrewing the nut, you only need to apply a little effort, as for the reverse process.
The hand wrench is an indispensable tool for long-range drivers and making it possible to easily remove the wheel in case of force majeure circumstances far from the settlements. Chauffeurs call this tool a grinder because of the external resemblance and the identical method of putting it into operation.
Working principle of pneumatic impact wrench
Like any pneumatic tool, a pneumatic impact wrench runs on compressed air from a compressor. Bypassing the hose connected to the wrench, air enters the device and begins to spin the rotor blades, which transfers rotation to the spindle (stop), the nozzle, and finally to the fasteners. The reverse function changes the direction of the air flow in the tool, as a result of which the direction of rotation of the rotor changes, and the nut is unscrewed in a few seconds.
By the type of work, pneumatic wrenches are impact and non-impact. The presence of an impact mechanism in the nutrunner increases its torque, but at the same time, the risk of breaking the thread or bolt head increases. The shock-rotational movement is created using a special hammer mechanism located in front of the spindle. Devices without impact function often produce less rotating force, and are mainly used when working with fasteners up to 12 mm.
Going deeper into the details, you can outline the device of a pneumatic wrench as follows. Inside the tool body there is a rear panel, a cylinder with a rotor and blades, an impact mechanism, a stop. On the outside of the body there is a start button, a connection for connecting a compressor, a reverse and a regulator (on most models).
For current or future owners, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the material, where we tell and show how to carry out maintenance and repair of a pneumatic wrench.
Pneumatic Impact Wrench (Air Tighten Fasteners)
Compact and lightweight compressed air tool. Has gained immense popularity in car services, industry and everyday life. Capable of delivering impressive torque compared to electric counterparts, while being less prone to breakage, thanks to a simple, monolithic mechanism. In this article, we will tell you how an air impact wrench works, what tightening adjustment is, and also tell you what to look for when choosing this tool.
Pneumatic torque wrench
Most modern impact wrenches are equipped with a torque adjustment feature. The main purpose of this function is to prevent fasteners from overtightening, breaking the thread or head. The adjustment will be useful for tightening relatively small nuts and bolts with a high torque tool. The fastener on the M8 will most likely be damaged if it is tightened with a tool without a regulator, with a maximum torque of 1000 Nm.
The principle of operation of a pneumatic adjustable impact wrench is to restrict the air supply, thereby reducing the torque. For example: if on a Fubag pneumatic impact wrench to 900 Nm, set mode number 3, its torque will decrease to 450 Nm, which will allow you to confidently tighten the M14 fastener. The number of modes on different instruments may vary, but on average there are from 3 to 5 of them. Information on operating modes is indicated in the documentation attached to the tool. Each individual device has its own characteristics of regulated powers.
Advantages of hydraulic impact wrenches
The scope of application of hydraulic types of impact wrenches is quite wide, and this explains a wide range of these devices. In tire shops, a wheel wrench is used, in which the following principle is applied: through a ratchet element, the translational movement from a hydraulic cylinder located inside the body is transmitted to the working mechanism.
Attention to technical parameters
The choice should be determined by other parameters, such as the power of the tool, the capacity of the battery (only for electric cordless wrenches), the availability of opportunities for adjusting the speed of rotation, force. It is preferable that the gearbox housing is made of metal, there is free access to the cheeks, on the housing and especially on the handle there are rubberized inserts to reduce vibration.
When choosing a household tool, the weight of the nutrunner may be the defining moment of choice, and you should also pay special attention to the location of the center of gravity.
It may be important to have additional options or to combine the functions of two tools in one device, for example, an electric impact wrench together with a drill or screwdriver.
How to choose a pneumatic impact wrench
A wrench is essentially a large and powerful wrench used to loosen / tighten any nut connections. But unlike a conventional wrench, this type of tool, for example, even a hand wrench, is equipped with an option to control the force and torque of the nut tightening.
Wrenches are more often used in industrial enterprises, but they can find enough work in everyday life, especially if the owner is a motorist.